Note: Javascript is disabled or is not supported by your browser. For this reason, some items on this page will be unavailable. For more information about this message, please visit this page: About CDC.gov.

Control of wood dust from horizontal belt sanding.

An auxiliary ventilation system developed to reduce the wood dust emission from horizontal belt sanders was tested. The system consisted of a hood and a jet stripper. The hood was a narrow, low volume, high velocity slot hood located between a belt surface and a work table. The push device was a jet stripper located inside a driven pulley hood opposite the operator site. A horizontal oscillating edge belt sander with a platen length of 152.4 centimeters was used for the testing. The wood dust particle number concentration emitted with and without the auxiliary ventilation system operating was measured at several sampling points. Average reduction rates occurring from use of the auxiliary system ranged from 18 to 96 percent, with the majority of reduced concentrations over 60 percent. The reduction in wood dust particle emissions increased with an increase in the auxiliary hood face velocity. Although a detailed economical analysis was not conducted, the average cost of manufacturing the system ranged from 70 to 150 dollars. The authors conclude that the system significantly reduces the wood dust emissions from the horizontal belt sander. The system does not interfere with the operation, is economically feasible, and requires minimal maintenance.